Dr Vanessa
@hpsvanessa.bsky.social
historian of science, medicine, food, sport and exploration; other content generally but not limited to: my dinner, a weird bug, feminist beer 🏳️⚧️, complaining about bad parking. Latest book: tinyurl.com/HigherColder
I really dislike unsolicited advice.
I really dislike unsolicited advice.
Pinned
Dr Vanessa
@hpsvanessa.bsky.social
· Dec 20
NEW FOLLOWERS: you MUST have a profile pic (not neccessarily of yourself!) and/or a header image, a biog + a couple of posts or I'll assume you are a bot/troll/bad faith person and block you.
Please do the *minimum* to show you're not a scammer!
Please do the *minimum* to show you're not a scammer!
Update: my sister literally went out to get one & informs me that it is just a hollow big ball. Such a disappointment 😞
I do have photo evidence but the face she is making in it is so sad it would make you cry.
I do have photo evidence but the face she is making in it is so sad it would make you cry.
What the actual F? I didn’t buy as I assumed the same (have had the easter egg version in the past). I am kicking myself now!
I had to buy this giant Ferrero Rocher in Lidl because I couldn't actually believe it was a thing. I assumed it would be like an Easter egg, with little Ferrero Rocher inside. But no. It is a single, giant, Rocher filled with the hazelnut paste.
Imagine the ambassador's receptions with these!
Imagine the ambassador's receptions with these!
November 29, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Update: my sister literally went out to get one & informs me that it is just a hollow big ball. Such a disappointment 😞
I do have photo evidence but the face she is making in it is so sad it would make you cry.
I do have photo evidence but the face she is making in it is so sad it would make you cry.
I've finally got to the end of the current supply of my mindless relaxation tv series (australians & new zealanders cooking) and I am torn between sadness that it's over, and a feeling of shame edging into disgust that I've sunk something obscene like 400 hours of my life into these nothing shows
November 29, 2025 at 7:18 PM
I've finally got to the end of the current supply of my mindless relaxation tv series (australians & new zealanders cooking) and I am torn between sadness that it's over, and a feeling of shame edging into disgust that I've sunk something obscene like 400 hours of my life into these nothing shows
What the actual F? I didn’t buy as I assumed the same (have had the easter egg version in the past). I am kicking myself now!
I had to buy this giant Ferrero Rocher in Lidl because I couldn't actually believe it was a thing. I assumed it would be like an Easter egg, with little Ferrero Rocher inside. But no. It is a single, giant, Rocher filled with the hazelnut paste.
Imagine the ambassador's receptions with these!
Imagine the ambassador's receptions with these!
November 29, 2025 at 5:52 PM
What the actual F? I didn’t buy as I assumed the same (have had the easter egg version in the past). I am kicking myself now!
Newcastle ppl - my sis did an 8 window Xmas art trail in the city centre this year. If you spot one she’d love a photo & a tag (@the_window_artist on insta)
Christmas Window Project Trail | Get into Newcastle
Head on a Christmas adventure around Newcastle City Centre, and see if you can spot all eight of our festive windows!Newcastle NE1 has teamed up with the talented Window Artist Corinne, who has design...
www.getintonewcastle.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Newcastle ppl - my sis did an 8 window Xmas art trail in the city centre this year. If you spot one she’d love a photo & a tag (@the_window_artist on insta)
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
The fire in Hong Kong is horrible and devastating. One thing I observe, in comparison to the Grenfell fire here, is that within three days, authorities have arrested 11 people, directors and top brass. I don't believe anyone, much less top brass, from Grenfell have faced charges, eight years later.
November 29, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The fire in Hong Kong is horrible and devastating. One thing I observe, in comparison to the Grenfell fire here, is that within three days, authorities have arrested 11 people, directors and top brass. I don't believe anyone, much less top brass, from Grenfell have faced charges, eight years later.
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
Trans woman Tracey Smith has just been imprisoned for 26 weeks.
The alleged ‘harassment’ was minor by any standard, and even the complainant - a politician, used the words ‘upsetting to me and my staff’
The alleged ‘harassment’ was minor by any standard, and even the complainant - a politician, used the words ‘upsetting to me and my staff’
November 28, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Trans woman Tracey Smith has just been imprisoned for 26 weeks.
The alleged ‘harassment’ was minor by any standard, and even the complainant - a politician, used the words ‘upsetting to me and my staff’
The alleged ‘harassment’ was minor by any standard, and even the complainant - a politician, used the words ‘upsetting to me and my staff’
Can anyone recommend UK-based, loose-leaf indie tea seller offering more than one of what my parents wld call "normal" tea blend: black+plain. I want to get something like irish breakfast/english breakfast/builders from one place, but all my fancy tea ppl only offer one plain black + lady/earl G
November 29, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Can anyone recommend UK-based, loose-leaf indie tea seller offering more than one of what my parents wld call "normal" tea blend: black+plain. I want to get something like irish breakfast/english breakfast/builders from one place, but all my fancy tea ppl only offer one plain black + lady/earl G
Looked out the bedroom window to see Mr Hat (wood pigeon) sat on a branch, next to a thrush-like bird that was almost as big as him. the lighting isn't great but from the size alone I'm pretty sure it was a field fare - a second one flew through the garden and they took off together. City living eh!
November 29, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Looked out the bedroom window to see Mr Hat (wood pigeon) sat on a branch, next to a thrush-like bird that was almost as big as him. the lighting isn't great but from the size alone I'm pretty sure it was a field fare - a second one flew through the garden and they took off together. City living eh!
The fact the wizard is having to do this at the weekend is spot on.
The wizard carefully puts together academic notes on a paper he is peer-reviewing.
November 29, 2025 at 8:42 AM
The fact the wizard is having to do this at the weekend is spot on.
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
You know who else talked about shouldering common national burdens while persecuting marginalised groups?
Liking this government a bit more when it doesn’t talk about immigration.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Britain’s wealthy must shoulder burden of rebuilding ‘creaky’ public services, Rachel Reeves says
Exclusive: Chancellor says she made ‘fair and necessary choices’ in budget, and was unwilling to make cuts
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:34 AM
You know who else talked about shouldering common national burdens while persecuting marginalised groups?
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
We worked with brilliant Sencer Museum staff on the 2nd installment of the Typhoidland exhibit. The exhibition was beautifully curated & the rest of the museum was a treasure trove housing truly unique artefacts from the history of public & global health. Everybody loses when places like this shut!
Now, the CDC Museum's future is on the rocks. The museum doesn't have a director even though a former supervisor is trying to keep the doors open. One of the museum's most popular programs is Disease Detective Camp, a summer program for high school students 👇
CDC Museum's Future Is on the Rocks
'You can't just throw a museum away,' former staffer says
www.medpagetoday.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:53 AM
We worked with brilliant Sencer Museum staff on the 2nd installment of the Typhoidland exhibit. The exhibition was beautifully curated & the rest of the museum was a treasure trove housing truly unique artefacts from the history of public & global health. Everybody loses when places like this shut!
Lol but using slopAI art is the same as clip art am i right???? Stop being mean to me as I desertify the world because I don’t know how to use PowerPoint 😭
'Vast swathes of Europe’s water reserves are drying up, a new analysis using two decades of satellite data reveals, with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK.'
Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown
Exclusive: UCL scientists find large swathes of southern Europe are drying up, with ‘far-reaching’ implications
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Lol but using slopAI art is the same as clip art am i right???? Stop being mean to me as I desertify the world because I don’t know how to use PowerPoint 😭
it's the season!
“ Det doftar halm i luften och julkänslan gör entré. Movember ut, bockember in! ✨🐐
You can smell the straw in the air and the christmas spirit makes its entrance. Movember out, bockember in! ✨🐐” #gavlebocken #gavle
You can smell the straw in the air and the christmas spirit makes its entrance. Movember out, bockember in! ✨🐐” #gavlebocken #gavle
November 28, 2025 at 9:41 PM
it's the season!
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
It's #DigitalFriday ! This is my routine appeal to #skystorians and all other academics prepping for teaching to share any software, hardware, online resources (primary, secondary, teaching tools, blogs) tips and tricks that they've found useful this week! #AcademicSky 🗃️(pls boost to relevant feeds)
November 28, 2025 at 8:21 AM
It's #DigitalFriday ! This is my routine appeal to #skystorians and all other academics prepping for teaching to share any software, hardware, online resources (primary, secondary, teaching tools, blogs) tips and tricks that they've found useful this week! #AcademicSky 🗃️(pls boost to relevant feeds)
today's #Housegawp asks , if it's been 'substantially rennovated' then why aren't there any photos of the inside...
www.onthemarket.com/details/1791...
www.onthemarket.com/details/1791...
Newton Stewart, DG8 9 bed detached house for sale - £525,000
Galloway and Ayrshire Properties - Newton Stewart present this 9 bedroom detached house for sale in Newton Stewart, DG8
www.onthemarket.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:46 PM
today's #Housegawp asks , if it's been 'substantially rennovated' then why aren't there any photos of the inside...
www.onthemarket.com/details/1791...
www.onthemarket.com/details/1791...
Yet again, local indie journalism doing the stuff mainstream journalists either can't or won't do; speaking to asylum seekers.
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/two-brothers...
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/two-brothers...
Two brothers arrived in Birmingham seeking safety. Four months later one was dead
Mustafa Maolanzadeh's encounter with the British asylum system has been complicated and painful
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Yet again, local indie journalism doing the stuff mainstream journalists either can't or won't do; speaking to asylum seekers.
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/two-brothers...
www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/two-brothers...
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
at this point, it takes real commitment to pretend that using genAI images is the same as clip art or a "random google search"
(not quoting this person, because no desire to dunk, but, christ)
(not quoting this person, because no desire to dunk, but, christ)
November 28, 2025 at 7:08 PM
at this point, it takes real commitment to pretend that using genAI images is the same as clip art or a "random google search"
(not quoting this person, because no desire to dunk, but, christ)
(not quoting this person, because no desire to dunk, but, christ)
is this good
EASA issues Emergency Airworthiness Directive for Airbus A320 family aircraft Elevator aileron computers (ELAC). ad.easa.europa.eu/ad/2025-0268-E
November 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
is this good
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
Are you a night owl or need to work around your kids? Did you know we’ve got a Monday evening session of A Meeting With Your Writing, suitable for European, British & Australian time zones. academicwritingstudio.co.uk/a-meeting-wi...
November 28, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Are you a night owl or need to work around your kids? Did you know we’ve got a Monday evening session of A Meeting With Your Writing, suitable for European, British & Australian time zones. academicwritingstudio.co.uk/a-meeting-wi...
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
Laura Kuenssberg’s husband, in case you were wondering.
From r/TransgenderUK: The BBC is putting together a hit piece against GenderGP.
November 28, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Laura Kuenssberg’s husband, in case you were wondering.
Super disappointing to see the people - who I would otherwise respect - in the comments saying "but I do use it so it's fine".
Even if you don't think it's a red flag for intellectual laziness... it's stolen data! It's THEFT! You're showing your lack of ethics to me & that matters!
Even if you don't think it's a red flag for intellectual laziness... it's stolen data! It's THEFT! You're showing your lack of ethics to me & that matters!
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Super disappointing to see the people - who I would otherwise respect - in the comments saying "but I do use it so it's fine".
Even if you don't think it's a red flag for intellectual laziness... it's stolen data! It's THEFT! You're showing your lack of ethics to me & that matters!
Even if you don't think it's a red flag for intellectual laziness... it's stolen data! It's THEFT! You're showing your lack of ethics to me & that matters!
Reposted by Dr Vanessa
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
OK it turned out I just needed half an hour staring out the window and then the right play list. 20% of the chapter written!
In possibly unrelated news, for the first time in my life I'm experiencing writer's block. Usually the words just pour out, I "over produce" materials, it's never been a problem to hit a word count or a deadline, and suddenly... nothing. I hate this! The mental silence is weird!
(not seeking advice)
(not seeking advice)
November 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
OK it turned out I just needed half an hour staring out the window and then the right play list. 20% of the chapter written!
In possibly unrelated news, for the first time in my life I'm experiencing writer's block. Usually the words just pour out, I "over produce" materials, it's never been a problem to hit a word count or a deadline, and suddenly... nothing. I hate this! The mental silence is weird!
(not seeking advice)
(not seeking advice)
November 28, 2025 at 1:49 PM
In possibly unrelated news, for the first time in my life I'm experiencing writer's block. Usually the words just pour out, I "over produce" materials, it's never been a problem to hit a word count or a deadline, and suddenly... nothing. I hate this! The mental silence is weird!
(not seeking advice)
(not seeking advice)
v exciting to get brief for seminars you're supposed to design & deliver that say "please use examples from your clinical experience to illustrate these points" when you don't have clinical exprnce b/c you're a historian, not a medic, but apparently no one believes you esp. when allocating teaching
November 28, 2025 at 1:37 PM
v exciting to get brief for seminars you're supposed to design & deliver that say "please use examples from your clinical experience to illustrate these points" when you don't have clinical exprnce b/c you're a historian, not a medic, but apparently no one believes you esp. when allocating teaching